Statistical Review: India vs New Zealand – Day 3 of the second Test 1
India vs New Zealand - Day 3 (2nd Test)

At the stumps of day 3 of the second Test between India and New Zealand at Eden Gardens (Kolkata), India is in very good position. New Zealand began the day with their overnight score 128/7 and bowled out at 204. At the end of 1st innings fight of this Test, India took 112 runs lead over New Zealand.

At the beginning of the India’s 2nd innings, New Zealand bowlers put a tough fight against the hosts’ top-order batsmen. At the stumps of day 3, India managed to score 227/8 with the lead of 339 runs.

Brief Scores: India – 316 (Cheteshwar Pujara 87, Ajinkya Rahane 77, Matt Henry 3/46) & 227/8 (Rohit Sharma 82, Virat Kohli 45, Matt Henry 3/44)

New Zealand – 204 (Jeetan Patel 47, Ross Taylor 36, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 5/48)

Here are some statistical highlights of day 3 of the 2nd Test:

  1. New Zealand lower order batsman Jeetan Patel scored an important 47 runs in New Zealand’s first innings of this Test. It is Patel’s new highest Test score. Patel’s previous highest Test score was 27*, which he made in his debutant Test innings (against South Africa at Cape Town in 2006).

 

  1. Indian pacers took total 8 wickets (Bhuvneshwar Kumar 5/48 and Mohammed Shami 3/70) during New Zealand’s first innings of this Test. It was the 16th time that Indian pacers took total 8 or more wickets in a Test innings on the home soil. Also it was the first time that Indian pacers took total 8 or more wickets against New Zealand in a Test innings on the home soil.

Last time Indian pacers took 8 or more Test wickets in a Test innings on the home soil was in 2008 against Australia (9 wickets) at Bangalore.

 

  1. Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled very well in the New Zealand’s first innings of this Test. Kumar’s final bowling figure in the first innings was 15-2-48-5. It was the third best bowling figure by an Indian pacer against New Zealand in a home Test innings. The other two top bowling figure by Indian pacer in this list were: 6/45 by Javagal Srinath (at Mohali in 1999) and 6/56 by Ramakant Desai (at Mumbai, Brabourne Stadium in 1965)

 

  1. Like the first innings of this Test (3/46), New Zealand pacer Matt Henry took another 3 wickets in the second innings as his bowling figure at the stumps of day 3 was 15.2-2-44-3. Henry became the 6th New Zealand pacer to take 3 or more wickets in the both innings of a Test match on Indian soil.

 

  1. Indian batsmen Rohit Sharma and Wriddhiman Saha put an important 103-runs partnership for the 7th wicket during India’s second innings of this Test. It was the second highest 7th wicket Test partnership for India against New Zealand on the home soil. India’s highest 7th wicket home Test partnership against New Zealand was 163 between VVS Laxman and Harbhajan Singh at Ahmedabad in 2010.

 

  1. Before this Test, highest 4th innings total in a Test match at Eden Gardens was 325/3 by India against West Indies in 1948. In this Test match, India has already taken 339 runs lead over the New Zealand.

However, the highest 4th innings total at Eden Gardens’ Test in the winning cause was only 120/2 by India against South Africa in 2004.

 

  1. Till the day 3 of this Eden Test, 12 dismissals were lbw out of 28 total dismissals. It is the highest no. of lbw dismissals in a Test match at Eden Gardens. The previous record of highest no. of lbw dismissals in a Test match at Eden Gardens were 11 between India vs Australia in 2001.